AN ALTERNATIVE TO FOSSIL FUEL

       For centuries, a high percentage of the world’s population are dependent on fossil fuel, a non-renewable energy, as source of energy. Fossil fuels are the accumulation of remains of prehistoric plants and animals

that decompose over millions of years to form hydrocarbons. Once used, they cannot be replaced for tens of thousands of years; hence they are non-renewable energy source. These deposit maybe petroleum, gas, coal, etc. which are used to fuel automobiles and also generate electricity. Rising populations and discoveries of oil deposits in developing countries have led to an increase in the rate of fossil fuel consumption and negative environmental impact, such as Global Warming. Global warming is the rise in average temperature of both the earth and oceans, primarily caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons, etc. produced by human activities such as burning of fossil fuels and deforestation. However, it seems we finally have a light at the end of the tunnel with the discovery of a safer approach to produce hydrogen fuel by a team of Virginia tech researchers.

Y.H Percival Zhang, an associate professor of biological systems of engineering and his team have succeeded in using xylose, the most abundant simple plant sugar, to produce a large quantity of hydrogen. This new environmentally friendly method of producing hydrogen utilizes renewable natural resources, releases almost zero greenhouse gasses, and does not require costly or heavy metals.

The U.S. Department of Energy states that hydrogen fuel has the potential to dramatically reduce over dependence on fossil fuels and automobile manufacturers are working tirelessly to develop vehicles that run on hydrogen fuel cells. Unlike gas-powered engines that release environmentally harmful pollutants, the only by-product of hydrogen fuel is water. Zhang's discovery opens the door to an inexpensive, renewable source of hydrogen. Read Full Article HERE